you were in the darkness too
by Panty Poison
Summary: Written for an OTP challenge on tumblr: 30 days focused on the relationship of Rei and Asuka. Day 18 up!
1. Chapter 1

A/n: Just a quick welcome and a few little notes about this series! I won't be using any one set universe for the oneshots; meaning they could be set in the original series, the Rebuild, maybe even the universe from that short sequence in Ep. 26. Who knows! I am going to try to update this daily, providing that schoolwork doesn't kill me too much. But even if I don't, rest assured that I will be completing all 30 days of the challenge. :) My dedication to this rare, precious pairing cannot be wavered! With that outta the way, hope you all enjoy!

* * *

There was a great thundering of feet as many the students of Tokyo-3's middle school were released from classes. Everyone was in a hurry to leave for the day and there was a lot of excited chatter as the students filtered out of the building.

Asuka lagged behind. She hated being shoved and jostled about by a bunch of loud, obnoxious classmates. She lingered in the doorway of the building for a while, finishing up a level on her handheld game. She finished and stuffed the device in her schoolbag, then walked outside. She almost cried out as a gust of wind hit her square in the face. The air had gotten quite chilly and the sky was a pale gray. Winter was here. She zipped up the jacket she had been wearing and continued on her way.

She looked around for Shinji so that they could walk back to Misato's together, but he was nowhere to be found. Probably already run off with Kensuke and Toji, that idiot. Never can commit to anything. Asuka huffed and started walking more briskly towards home.

She noticed another figure up ahead of her. It had to be Rei Ayanami, Asuka had never seen anyone with the same shade of pale blue hair. She was walking a few feet ahead of Asuka, dressed in only her school uniform as the wind continued to blow relentlessly. What was she _doing_ out here so poorly dressed for the weather? It annoyed Asuka. Did Wonder Girl think she was too good to wear a damn coat? She narrowed her eyes and stormed up closer to Rei. "Hey, wait up!"

Rei slowed her pace and turned to Asuka, who was now walking alongside her. "Oh, Asuka. I didn't notice you from behind."

"Yeah, yeah. Whaddaya think you're doing out here without a coat on? It's gotta be below freezing out here," Asuka said, as another gust of wind hit the two girls, emphasizing Asuka's point.

"Actually, the temperature is thirty-three degrees Fahrenheit. I checked the thermometer as I was leaving the school," Rei stated matter-of-factly.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "_Fine._ Shouldn't you have a coat on or something?" She looked over at Rei's arms and found that they were covered in goosebumps. _So it does bother her, _Asuka thought.

The other girl shrugged. "I don't own a lot of clothing. I remember Commader Ikari gave me a coat a few years ago, but it was stolen."

"You don't own any jackets? How do you stay warm outside?"

"By walking quickly to get to the nearest building. It's not a huge matter, really."

Asuka was incredulous. "Like hell it isn't..." she muttered. Rei's one arm had moved to the other, where she began rubbing it slightly to keep warm. She almost felt bad for her.

"If I was meant to have a jacket, I'm certain I would have been provided with one. Otherwise I must not be deserving of one."

"Alright, that does it! You're coming with me to Misato's. I might have something I could lend you." Asuka reached over to grab Rei's arm, but she pulled away.

"Are you ordering me? You are aware that you are not authorized to do so."

"Do you know how stupid you look wandering around without a coat on? What if you get sick?"

"I can always be replaced."

Asuka wanted to slap her forehead. Why was this girl so damn difficult?

"Can't you decide that you need something for yourself for once? I'm just trying to help you."

"And why is that?"

Asuka's head was starting to hurt. She had to think about. Being so concerned about someone, especially Rei, was definitely new for her. They had stopped walking by now and Asuka considered for a moment, crossing her arms. She finally responded "Maybe I know what it's like. Not having anyone give a shit about you. But you can't let it take over your life, it makes you weak. Don't you get that? Can't you understand _one_ thing without someone forcing you to do it first?"

Rei was silent, looking at Asuka with the same blank look that she always had on her face. "Forget it," Asuka growled, turning on her heel to walk away.

"Wait."

Rei stepped beside Asuka. "I understand. So, if you are certain that you would like to help me..I suppose I would accept. Does the offer still stand?"

She was surprised her words had made any impact. Asuka's lips curled upwards in a small smile. "Yeah, it does."

It turned out that Asuka had not brought over an extra coat from Germany. After a diligent look through the rest of her wardrobe, she found a sweater she had received at college. It was the standard school colors of blue and black with 'SORHYU' emblazoned on the back. She never wore it, hence it was perfect for Rei's use. It fit the girl just as well, and Asuka was pleased with her work and sent Rei home.

At school the next day, Asuka saw Rei wearing the sweater. She tentatively waved at her and Rei smiled back. The two usually didn't interact in school, so it was business as usual. The students however were excited at this interaction, whispering among themselves.

"Why is everyone so hyper today?" Asuka remarked to Hikari.

Hikari's eyes widened at her. "You mean you don't know? Asuka, Ayanami's wearing a sweater with **your** name on it."

Asuka raised an eyebrow, evidently not catching her drift.

Hikari continued, "Normally in school, if another student wears something like that it means...well.." she smirked conspiratorially. Before she could elaborate, Toji placed himself in an empty desk beside the two girls.

"Soooo you and Ayanami eh, Asuka? Can't say I'm surprised, you two had some great tension goin' on there for a while." He was grinning widely.

"Just what are you on about, creep?" Asuka challenged.

"Saw Rei wearin' your sweater! Bet you guys had a nice sleepover at your place am I right?" He gave an exaggerated wink. "Speakin' of which, you got any pictures?"

It finally clicked in Asuka's brain and she flushed a bright red. "Shut UP! Rei and I..we're...NOT...like that, okay?!"

Hikari rolled her eyes at Toji, but nudged Asuka lightly. "Aww come on, Asuka. We don't judge about that stuff."

"There's nothing to judge ABOUT!"

"Yeesh, looks like someone's getting a little defensive!" Toji quipped.

"I'll show _you_ defensive-"

"What's going on?"

All three of them turned around surprisedly to see Rei standing there. She must have heard the commotion from across the room. Asuka huffed and elbowed Toji roughly in the stomach, who had been snickering again at Rei's arrival. "Nothing. Toji here is just being more of a perv than usual today."

"Nu-uh! I was just complimenting how, uh, cute you look in _Asuka's_ sweater, Rei!"

Hikari crossed her arms and gave Toji a look. "Excuse me?"

Toji blanched. "Hikari, you know what I meant!"

"See you later, girls. Me and Toji need to have a little talk," Hikari said, grabbing Toji by the ear and dragging him to the other side of the room while he protested in pain.

Asuka laughed triumphantly. "What a dummkopf, eh?"

"What were you all arguing about?"

Asuka stood up beside Rei. "Never mind. Nice sweater, by the way. Whoever you got it from must have impeccable taste."

"_You_ gave me this sweater, Asuka."

She rolled her eyes. "Looks like we're gonna have to work on your sense of humour next."


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: For those reading and wishing to follow along with the challenge, you can find the link in my profile. Enjoy!

* * *

"This is bad, Asuka. We need to step up our game."

"If we can take out the leader, the others will scatter. Cover me, I'm going in."

"Let me help-"

"Shinji, just _stay here._ Idiot."

Asuka looked out from behind the makeshift barrier they had constructed. It was quiet; fire from both sides had ceased for the moment as the parties took time to replenish their ammo. Asuka gripped one cold projectile in her hand and shot out into the open. She could spot Misato's red cap peaking out from behind a white bush a few yards away. She grinned and moved closer.

"Asuka, behind you!"

She immediately ducked as one white orb soared over her head and into a tree. Now that her presence was known, she had to move fast. With all her effort, she hurled the snowball in her palm in Misato's direction. As she did this, she felt a hard impact on the side of her face. She cried out and fell to the ground. She held a gloved hand over her left eye, which was now beginning to throb. Her attacker peered over from a snowdrift and pumped her fist in the air. "Asuka's out!"

"_Verdammt_ Mari, I thought the rules were no shots to the face!"

"Well excuse me, Princess! I was aiming for your shoulder, but your massive head got in the way." Mari said before ducking back down to roll more snowballs. Asuka crawled back behind her own barrier defeatedly.

"Are you hurt?" a small voice asked. Rei had turned from her pile of largely unused snowballs and was now trying to examine Asuka's eye.

"'Course not. Is it bruising? If I get a shiner thanks to her, she's really in for it."

Rei touched the side of her face and Asuka tried not to flinch. "Nothing more than irritation from what I can see. You should be fine in a day or so."

Asuka groaned. "Dumb bitch. Can't even get her back for it."

"Would you like me to assist you with that? I have yet to be tagged out," Rei said, as calmly as ever.

"Pssh, sure. While you're at it, be a dear and tag everyone else on Misato's team out too," Asuka snapped, still rubbing her face.

Rei was silent for a moment, looking from her pile of snowballs to the other side of the clearing. She seemed to be calculating her odds. "Understood," she said finally, somehow scooping up her large pile of ammo in her arms.

"Wait, what?" Before Asuka could protest further, Rei was already out in the open.

"What's she doing out there?" Shinji said.

"I was just joking around, I didn't know she'd actually do it!"

"I can't watch."

But as the other two looked out from the barrier, they found just the opposite of what they expected. Rei was expertly, almost mechanically, dodging every snowball thrown at her. She took out Toji and Kensuke without even blinking. Misato was more difficult, but with a little manuevering Rei was able to tag her as well. Mari got in a few good shots, but they all missed Rei's lithe form. Mari was unprepared and out of snowballs, so she too fell to Rei's onslaught. Misato stood up from behind her bush and brushed off her arm where Rei's snowball had hit. "Alright, Shinji's team wins!"

Everyone stood up from behind their barriers, and Asuka rushed over to Rei. "How did you even do that?! Impressive," she said, grabbing Rei's hand and squeezing it.

Rei only shrugged, though she was smiling now. The First child looked at the remaining snowball in her other hand and threw it at Mari for good measure, who shrieked in response. "The game is over, Ayanami!"

Asuka laughed loudly. "You can dish it out but can't take it, eh Four-Eyes?"

Mari smirked. "You oughta keep her on a leash, she's dangerous."

"Now, now ladies, let's keep the conversation PG, hmm?" Kaworu piped up from his place beside Shinji.

Mari made a face while Asuka flushed. "Ugh, that is _not_ what I meant. Thanks for that mental image, Nagisa."

"Hey, hey enough fighting! I'm treating all you kids to some hot drinks at my place, so hustle up!" Misato shouted cheerfully. Everyone started following her, Rei and Asuka trailing behind. They were still holding hands. "Hope you didn't kick everyone's ass because I told you to do it. I was only teasing, y'know."

Rei shook her head. "Not really. You like winning, so I concluded that a victory on our part would raise your spirits after Mari hit you."

Asuka laughed. "A girl after my own heart," she said fondly, leaning in to give Rei a quick peck on the forehead.

Rei blinked in surprise, then began to smile. "I guess I am."


	3. Chapter 3

Rei made her way slowly to the NERV locker room. She truly felt sore all over; though worth it in the end, annihilating angels was no easy task. She felt dizzy and drained. After fumbling with the locker combo a few times, she got it open and retrieved her clothes. She pressed the button on her plugsuit to make it loose enough to remove. It felt nice to have the pressure off and she sighed with relief, sinking down onto a bench. As she did, she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her neck and a face close to her own. "Guess whooo."

The voice was mischievous, familiar. "Asuka," Rei breathed softly.

Asuka stood up from where she had been bending behind Rei and stepped over the bench so that she could sit next to Rei. "Ritsuko was really impressed with you out there. She insisted I tell you that," Asuka said with an eyeroll. She had had a sync test today, but had obviously hung around to wait for Rei to come out of battle. "Though I can't help but agree. What's the deal, you trying to make me look bad?" she teased.

"If I did so, it was not my intention. I merely carrying out orders."

"Yeah, I know," she said, and then in a more serious tone asked "how are you holding up?"

"Well enough. Though I'm not sure I'll be back to my full potential for at least a day." She was changing her clothes as she talked, wincing occasionally as she did.

Asuka huffed. "They'd better leave you off duty for a few days if they know what's good for 'em. You look kinda wrecked."

"It's not just that."

"Hmm?"

Rei sat down and stared at the floor. "While I was fighting, I think I felt..the angel touch my mind. It was only for a moment, but...I heard unspeakable things. Inexplicable, terrifying images..they all seemed to go through my head at once..."

Asuka looked at Rei intently. The girl was now holding a hand to her head and visibly shaking, though she must not have been aware of it. She reached over and gently took the hand in both of her own, squeezing it. "Hey, that's all over with now. Forget it and be with me, right now, instead. Okay?"

Rei blinked her wide, red eyes a few times before nodding. In truth, she was still quite rattled over the incident. But one thing she had learned about having Asuka for a girlfriend is that she was fiercely protective, and would not hesitate to go off on her loved ones for being self-deprecating. For their own good, of course.

"Here, I brought you something that might help," Asuka said, reaching down for something by her feet. It was a plastic coffee cup with some sort of hot liquid inside. "It's hot cocoa."

Rei took the cup and examined it. "Is that a kind of coffee?"

"What? No, it's hot _chocolate_. You mean you've never had it before? How were you raised?"

Rei shrugged. "Mostly by myself. You've seen my apartment."

Asuka mentally scolded herself for that one. To Rei she said "Oh, just try it already."

Rei nodded and took a tentative sip of the drink. It was smooth and rich going down, and it made her feel warm inside. Another drink and she felt her tense muscles start to relax.

"How's that for ya?"

"It's excellent. Thank you."

She put an arm around Rei's waist and pulled her close. "Only the best for you, Wonder Girl."


	4. Chapter 4

"Mein Gott, you have a lot of books," Asuka yelled as she scanned the bookshelf in Rei's bedroom. She was speaking loudly so that Rei could hear her from the kitchen, where she preparing eggs and toast. She could see that they were all older books, a lot of classics as well and unpopular, out of print novels. A few science texts in foreign languages occupied the space as well. Nothing she found particularly interesting. Asuka could never immerse herself in old books, she found the narrative to be dull and rambling. "Pretty lousy selection, though."

"Perhaps you should be more open-minded with your literary choices. You may find something on that shelf that appeals to you," Rei called back calmly.

Asuka grunted skeptically in response. She skimmed through the various titles with glazed eyes; _Brave New World, Treasure Island, _and even_ Moby Dick _all failed to illicit any interest. Who wanted to read about a mad old man hunting some overgrown sea mammal anyway? It was laughable. She was about to turn away when some title finally caught her eye. She pulled the tome off the bookshelf and brought it back to the bed with her. She smirked as she flipped through the pages. "Well, well! Never pinned you to have such saucy stuff hidden away, Wonder Girl."

Rei appeared in the bedroom doorway. She was only half-dressed in a sweater that was so big it nearly touched her bare knees. She carried two plates of food with her. She set them down on the bed before climbing in herself. "What are you talking about?" she asked, peering over her companion's shoulder.

"Don't play dumb! This is obviously a dirty book, how'd _you_ get your hands on it?"

"That's _The Scarlet Letter_, Asuka. And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's hardly just about sexual promiscuity."

"Oh you're just mad because I found you out. This woman, she-"

"It's actually more focused on the morality of mankind."

"Whatever, but-"

"An excellent take on the psychological part of religion and its effects on people in the seventeenth century-"

"Stop cutting me off, dammit! Look, all I know is that I have never seen a book use the word 'bosom' so many times in my life!" Asuka interjected, pointing to the offensive word in question in the open book.

As she was getting ready to go off into another tangent, Rei brought a piece of toast to the girl's open mouth, effectively quieting her. "Please stop talking. I'd prefer that you eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Asuka complied without much complaint and the two both ate in silence. After she had finished, Asuka returned to the bookshelf. "There's gotta be something good to read in here."

"There's a copy of _Alice in Wonderland_ there. It's a kind of fantasy novel, so it might hold your attention better."

Asuka found the book and placed it in Rei's lap. "Why don't you read it to me?"

"You know we have school today," Rei replied flatly.

The other girl fell back down on the bed. "Screw that, I'm taking my birthday off."

"Suit yourself. I still must get ready though."

Rei moved to get up, but Asuka grabbed her by the wrist. She pulled the girl on top of her and kissed her. After a moment of shock, Rei found herself easing up and kissing Asuka back. Rei had never been familiar with romantic gestures. However, she found that the more she was around Asuka, the easier it was becoming. It was a foreign but nonetheless rewarding experience. Asuka brought a hand to the back of Rei's head, her fingers running through her hair and making Rei feel warm all over.

They broke apart and Asuka smiled, still fingering strands of Rei's soft hair. "Now what were you saying about school?"

Rei sighed, clearly conceding defeat. "I suppose missing one day won't be too detrimental. Besides, I cannot leave you unsupervised in my apartment."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asuka asked with a touch of annoyance.

Rei shrugged. "I seem to have this pressing urge to give you a lot of attention." It was a genuine reply.

Asuka must have thought so as well, for she smiled broadly. "Better get to it, then!"

It turned out to be one of the best birthdays Asuka had experienced in a long while.


	5. Chapter 5

"Why are you just _staring_ at me like that? You're so creepy."

The insult seemed to fly right over Rei's head. "Why do you choose to sit by yourself? Everyone else is skating."

"Well, sometimes it's good not to just mindlessly follow everyone else. Not that you'd know anything about that." Asuka crossed her arms and aimed her eyes away from the nuisance in front of her.

"I thought you weren't afraid of anything-"

"I'm _not_ afraid! Say anything like that one more time and I'll make you regret it." Asuka snapped.

The two stared at each other in a stony silence. The only sound came from behind Rei, where the rest of their class was shouting and laughing as they skated around the rink. Rei stood perfectly balanced by a guard rail, not even using it to steady herself as she chatted with Asuka. She was seated on a bench, hands in the pocket of her hoodie and observing everyone else.

"Is it because you've never done it before?"

Asuka felt a rush of blood in her cheeks. Why did that bitch have to be such a know-it-all? She didn't say anything and Rei continued "Shinji taught me how, it isn't very difficult. If you like, I could help you get started."

"Tch, as if I need help from you OR that idiot Shinji! Just get outta here, will ya?!"

"As you wish," Rei said finally, pushing off from the railing and joining the others. Asuka was left to sulk in silence. She tried to distract herself by looking at her phone and counting the minutes before the class had to go back inside. It was cold however, and everyone else making so much noise was driving her up a wall. She sighed in annoyance and stood up, grabbing a pair of ice skates from the box the P.E. Teacher had provided. "Ayanami, get over here!" she barked, not even five minutes from when Rei had left. She skated over wordlessly. "Let's get one thing straight, I'm only accepting your help because I am extremely bored, got it?"

Rei didn't reply, and at first Asuka feared she might have changed her mind, wouldn't _that_ be embarrassing? Finally she held out her hand for Asuka. "It will be easiest if you have someone to steady you at first," she said flatly.

Asuka complied. She was surprised that her hand was warm, despite Rei's cold demeanor. She gripped it a little too hard, but Rei didn't let on that she noticed. "Balance is crucial. As long as you keep going with a steady gait, you will not fall. Move with me," she said, tugging Asuka gently along the ice.

"Okay, okay...geez, warn me before you pick up speed!"

"You're doing just fine." Rei squeezed Asuka's hand as she said this, and the redhead wondered if she had meant to. They glided leisurely about the rink once before Rei said "I'm going to let go now. Try to skate alongside me."

Asuka nodded and Rei released her. She wobbled for a moment before moving confidently next to Rei, slowly but steadily. "Ha! Nothing the great Pilot Sohryu can't handle!"

Rei was about to reply when something collided with her from behind, causing her to fall on the ice. Asuka looked over in surprise and her eyes narrowed at Touji and Kensuke skating around the two girls. "'Ey ladies, pick up the pace!" Touji shouted over his shoulder as he zoomed away, Kensuke laughing behind him.

"Get back here, you pigs!" Asuka growled. She looked down and saw Rei rubbing her back. _Those idiots_, she thought angrily. "Here, lemme help you up," she said, holding her hand down to the other girl.

Rei seemed surprised that Asuka had offered assistance, but she took it. She rose up a little unsteadily, and Asuka almost fell herself. Rei quickly grabbed her other hand to steady them both as she got her bearings back. "Thank you," she said softly. They both noticed how close they were and Asuka coughed, breaking apart awkwardly. Rei didn't seem to care, instead trying to reach a sore spot on her back.

"That look like it hurt." Asuka remarked.

"It just knocked the wind out of me," Rei said, but she flinched as she took her hand off her back.

Asuka's eyes narrowed and she looked ahead at the two boys determinedly. "C'mon, let's go teach those two a lesson," she said, skating their way.

Rei followed, a little hesitantly. "Do you think that's wise?"

"Who _cares,_ those brutes deserve it!"

Just as Touji was picking up speed, Asuka made her move. She skated close enough to hold her foot out in front of his, effectively flooring him. Kensuke gawked and turned around, but he was speeding up before he saw Rei in his path. She held out her arms to block him, being surprisingly strong despite her small frame. He fell right on top of Touji, who yelled in response. "You two are psychos!"

Asuka threw her head back and cackled, and even Rei looked on with an uncharacteristically bemused expression. Asuka put her arm around the other girl's neck as they skated away together. "Y'know, you're not as bad as I thought, Ayanami."


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't think I'll ever understand...how you can be so smart and so...fucking stupid at the same time."

Rei's vision blurred tremendously as she opened her eyes. She could see Asuka, though her visage was murky, frayed with black and white lines. For a moment even Asuka blurred, making it appear as though she had two doppelgangers. It seemed so ridiculous that she wanted to laugh, but the pain in her ribs made that an impossibility. She opened her mouth to speak, but even that proved to be an effort.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you want to get killed?!" Asuka was near hysterics, her frantic breath visible in the cold air. Rei noticed that she wasn't even out of her plugsuit. They, along with Shinji, had been fighting off an angel together. At one point the thing had latched on to both 01 and 02 Evas. Rei had moved in and attacked, and as a result the angel took its full on wrath upon her Eva. After that, she couldn't remember much. Where was 00? Had she been ejected? That made the most sense. But why was Asuka here, and where was Shinji? And the angel, what became of it?

All these questions made her head reel, literally in fact. Her head rolled back and she felt her eyes closing again. A sudden jolt of pain shocked her back to consciousness. Asuka had just slapped her. "Oh no you don't. You do _not_ get to die on me, do you understand?!"

Rei managed to blink away some fatigue. She wanted to speak, lest Asuka lose her temper even more. "I wanted...to..f-fight it off...you and..Shinji were-"

Asuka cut her off, screaming. "We were fine, damn you! You were ordered to stay back, ordered! Why didn't you do what you were told, you stupid doll?"

"Not...a doll," Rei said almost immediately, coughing as she did. Even that was painful.

"Why...why then..." Asuka gripped Rei by the front of her suit and gave her two hard shakes. "Why did you go out of line like that?!"

With effort, Rei brought one hand up to rest on Asuka's, who in turned loosened her grip. "Ikari and...you..are my friends. Friends...help each other...correct?"

Asuka was stunned into silence. After a long moment she uttered "You and me...when did you decide-"

She was interrupted by a crackling noise and the familiar voice of Ritsuko. "Pilot Sohryu, did you recover Unit 00's pilot? Come in, Asuka."

Asuka pressed her headset closer to her ear as a gust of wind swept the clearing. She was wearing a red jacket over her plugsuit, probably to keep her warm while she had been searching. "Yeah, I...found her. I think her..one of her ribs might be broken." Asuka said, running a hand through her hair distractedly.

"Understood. We've dispatched a team to your location to retrieve you both, medical personnel included. Stand by, pilots."

"Be quick about it, dammit!" Asuka yelled into the device before it switched off. The two were silent again save for Rei's labored breathing. Asuka sat in her thoughts for a while before speaking. "Look...if we're friends...maybe you'll do something for me._ Don't_ put yourself in danger like that again, alright?"

Rei closed her eyes for a long blink. "If that's an order...I may consider it." She involuntarily shuddered. It was cold and she had lost a good amount of blood. It was surprising that she wasn't passed out by now.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "You will if you know what's good for you." She shrugged off her coat and instead put in on Rei, propping her up slightly so that it would rest over her shoulders.

"Don't. You're...going to get.." Rei stopped as another cough racked through her "...blood on your coat."

Asuka blew a lock of hair out of her face that the wind had mussed. "I'm a big girl, Rei, I think I'll live. Besides, what are..friends for?"

What a foreign concept, Asuka thought. But..a promising one.


	7. Chapter 7

Sledding happened to be one of Asuka's favorite activities. The winters back home had always been ideal for winter sports, which Asuka enjoyed immensely. So when she experienced her first snowfall in Tokyo-3, she was ecstatic and wanted to experience it to the fullest. And since it was funner to sled with more than one person, Asuka wanted someone to go with her. Preferably Hikari, though she would make do with Shinji if nothing else.

Just her luck that the only person she managed to wheedle into joining her shared none of her enthusiasm.

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"What's there to understand? You get on the sled, you go down the hill. I thought you were supposed to be smart."

"It's not the concept of it. It just seems rather futile. What's the point?"

Asuka exhaled loudly as she set her sled down; partly from exhaustion caused from climbing the steep hill, and but mostly from annoyance with her companion. She was starting to regret bringing her along. "The point is to have fun, which is obviously something that you are unfamiliar with." She looked down the hill and positioned the sled accordingly, making sure she had a clear path in sight. She grinned in satisfaction and sat down in the sled. Rei was looking down the hill, but there was no emotion on her face from what Asuka could see. Creepy as ever, she thought. "Will you get in here already?" she piped up.

Rei didn't budge. Asuka fumed silently, who the hell did she think she was? Especially after Asuka was kind enough to bring her along. The _nerve._ "Are you deaf or something?"

"I will remain here."

"What?! Come on, we'll go down faster if there's two of us. Who knows, maybe you'll even enjoy yourself for once."

Again, Rei was still. Asuka narrowed her eyes. "What are you, scared?"

"Don't be foolish."

"Ha! Called it. You mean to tell me you'll pilot an Eva, hundreds of feet tall, but you won't ride with me down this dinky hill?"

Silence. After a few moments, Rei walked over to place herself in the sled along with Asuka. She was surprised her taunts had worked, but she still smiled gleefully. Rei sat in back of Asuka, who was seated at the front end of their transport. She put her arms out on either side of the sled and began to push them both along.

"Yes! Get ready, we're goin' down!" As she said this, she pushed off the ground hard and the sled began its descent down the hill. They quickly picked up speed and Asuka had to grip the front edge. "You better hold on!" She called back over her shoulder.

The sled jumped, like they had just run over something, and Asuka felt a something soft pushing against her from behind. Evidently the bump had knocked Rei forward, her arms reaching out to encircle Asuka's middle. Flustered, she tried to yell back at her, but the sled picked up speed again and the resulting adrenaline completely knocked the thought out of her mind. They flew down the hill at an alarming rate, Asuka practically screaming with laughter the entire time.

"Up ahead!" Asuka heard Rei shout; sure enough they were approaching a tree, situated directly at the bottom of the hill. Asuka gripped the top of the sled and veered it to the right. They swerved away from the tree in time, but the sled was thrown off balance. It tilted over, and Rei and Asuka spilled out onto the ground just a few feet away. Asuka jumped up from the ground and shook off her hair, which had gotten a lot of snow in it. "That was great, huh?"

Rei didn't so much as look over at her, instead remaining on the ground and brushing some snow off herself. Asuka raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey, why'd you grab onto me up there? Told ya you were scared."

"My apologies. You said to hold on, and I thought that you meant I should hold on to you."

"Eh. Suuuure you did."

"I'm also not learned in controlling sleds, so naturally staying as close to you seemed to be the best option. You are very adept at it."

Asuka flushed, feeling flattered but not wanting to show it. "I-it's just sledding! There's not really much to it. I'm just good at anything I do, naturally!" she laughed haughtily to make herself feel more confident. Then she noticed Rei picking the sled back up and walking away. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

Rei turned around with what Asuka could have sworn was the smallest of smiles on her face. "I'd like to go down again, if possible."

Inside Asuka jumped for joy, but outwardly she merely smiled coolly. "Ah, what the hell. I might even teach you how to pilot one of these things as well as me!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Do you plan to tell me what's troubling you?"

Rei's question to Asuka broke the comfortable silence on the cold, late afternoon. The two were carrying groceries back to Rei's apartment. The items weren't very cumbersome, but Asuka had insisted rather forcefully on helping. Rei did not object, in fact she was coming to rather enjoy her company.

Asuka whipped her head around in surprise. "Who says anything is?"

"You've barely spoken this whole time. It's a bit unusual for you." It was true; Asuka had been in a rather subdued mood all day, staring off into space and being generally despondent. Shinji had forgotten to make lunch for her that day, and she had merely shrugged it off without so much as a rude comment.

Asuka kicked a can that was in her path, sending it clattering away. "Maybe I just don't feel like talking, okay? I have a lot on my mind, for your information."

"Such as?"

"Nothing you'd understand," Asuka snapped. It effectively silenced Rei, who turned her attention to something in the distance. She sighed and admitted "Just thinking about my mom, that's all."

"Oh." Rei replied after a long pause.

"You made me admit that and all you have to say is _'oh'_?!" There was an edge to Asuka's voice.

"I didn't make you do anything. However, if you wish to talk about it, I will listen. Though I don't know how much use I will be, as I have never had a mother."

Asuka shook her head brusquely. "You wouldn't have wanted mine. She was insane."

"Were you mistreated?" Rei pressed.

"I wasn't treated like anything at all," Asuka muttered darkly. "All she cared about was...she never.." she shook her head roughly, as if wanting to forget something. "Never mind, it doesn't matter."

They were silent again for a while until Rei spoke. "She must have truly been unwell..to believe that you deserved to be ignored."

Asuka stopped and stood still. They were walking across a road next to the base of a great hill. After taking a few steps, Rei stopped as well and looked back at her. Asuka dropped the bags she had been holding to the of the road and moved towards Rei. The girl was caught off guard as Asuka tackled her to the snow covered ground, causing her to also drop her bags of groceries (thankfully, they had not purchased anything fragile.)

Rei hardly reacted, looking up at Asuka's cold blue eyes staring down at her. At first she thought she was going to attack her, but this notion was ruled out almost instantly. Asuka leaned down and placed her lips over Rei's for a searing kiss. It was not the first time; the two had started a tenuous relationship a few days prior, but before now their attempts at intimacy had felt weak and unsure. But what Rei felt now from Asuka was need, a desperate pressure that was not present before. She pushed against Rei until she felt the girl reciprocate the kiss. A low sigh of something, pleasure or relief, escaped her throat and the two fell into a slower, more relaxed pace. It was intense, sensual, and very, very warm.

After a few minutes they broke apart, Asuka sat back up and looked at Rei a little sheepishly. "Sorry. I felt like I really needed to do that."

Rei sat up next to her and tilted her head questioningly. "You don't need to apologize. Why did you?"

"What you said to me...that I didn't deserve to be treated how she...well. It meant a lot to me, you know?" she managed to get out. It was hard for her to admit something so personal and Rei could sense that. She put her hand over Asuka's reassuringly. In a wink Asuka smiled. "Plus we are dating, in case you've forgotten. I have the right to kiss you whenever I want," she said cockily, clearly feeling more of herself.

Rei smiled. "I did not forget."

When they stood up, Asuka looked at the imprint their bodies had made in the fresh snow. "Looks almost like a snow angel." Rei's eyes widened slightly and Asuka quickly explained "Not _our_ kind, calm down. It's just a shape you can make in the snow. When I was really little, me and my-" she caught herself and her eyes darkened just a bit.

Rei moved towards her, laying a lingering kiss on Asuka's cheek. "Will you show me how to make them?"

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Why? It's kids stuff. Stupid."

"It's special to you, in some way at least. But you cannot even enjoy it without being plagued by unwelcome memories. I want to help you create new ones. Ones that you'll want to remember."

After the sentiment had been met with another make-out session from Asuka, the girls stayed at the foot of the hill until well after dusk, laughing and making fresh angel prints in the snow.


	9. Chapter 9

A/n: The original prompt was fireplace/candles, but I decided to take a bit of liberty here. While I've got your attention, let me take the moment to say thank you for all the feedback I've gotten for this challenge! Every review, favorite and follow means a lot to me. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far! I know I am. Another thing; finals are this week so if I may miss a day or two while I hit the books, but after Friday everything should be back to normal! Now without further ado, your daily dose of Rei/Asuka fluff. ;3

* * *

There was no shortage of destruction in Tokyo-3. Crumbled buildings, wooden dwellings abandoned, everything was in shambles. Sometimes the citizens, mostly teens, would host bonfires to clear some trash and debris from the streets. As long as they stayed away from the woods or residences that were actually inhabited, the practice was actually encouraged.

On the outskirts of town, a big pile of garbage had been built up, just waiting to be burned. Mari, Kaworu, Shinji and Asuka stood beside it in the dimming light. The air about them was tranquil; in the midst of this time of war between man and the angels, any moment of peace was relished. All of them were in good spirits as they sat and watched the sun set.

"May I ask what we are waiting for? I was rather looking forward to my first bonfire with you all," said Kaworu.

Asuka looked him with annoyance. "Wonder girl's not here yet."

Mari smirked and rolled her eyes. "You invited Ayanami? She probably won't even come, she never hangs out with us."

"She's still one of us pilots," Shinji pointed out.

"And I ordered her to come, so she will if she knows what's good for her! So we are waiting," she ended with a growl, getting in Mari's face as if challenging her.

The bespectacled girl merely held up her hands and sounded as if she was trying to hold back a laugh. "Okay, okay! Don't get your panties in a twist, princess."

"What did just say to me?!" Asuka shouted. She might have gotten violent, but Kaworu had risen up from his place on the ground and gently pushed the two apart.

"No need for any catfights. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves this evening," he said pleasantly. The two stared each other down for a moment more before backing down, and Asuka said a few words under her breath in German.

"Besides, wouldn't want to scare away our friend, would we?" he gestured to the right with a gentle nod of his head. Rei had finally shown up, not looking particularly excited to be there. Just as stoic as ever.

This didn't stop Asuka from being excited. "Ha! I know she'd come. Looks like I was right after all," she taunted at Mari.

Mari blew a stray lock of hair from her face nonchalantly. "Whatever. Let's get this show on the road already!" Her eyes lit up as she whipped out a lighter.

Meanwhile Asuka walked up to Rei with a spring in her step. The two had been much closer than usual lately, much to everyone's surprise. Neither were the type to get close to anyone, so perhaps that was why they were drawn to each other. Rei was the only one who could tolerate Asuka's attitude the longest, while Asuka could bring out a lighter (even funner) side to Rei. It was strange how well they complemented each other.

As they all sat around the bonfire, watching the flames leap up and dance in the dark night sky, Rei and Asuka sat with their shoulders touching one another. "Pretty cool, huh?" Asuka asked.

Rei was sitting with her neck craned upward, watching the flaming tower intently. "It's very warm, actually." she said quietly.

"Not literally," came the groaning reply "I meant do you like it?"

Rei exhaled softly. It was hard to figure out what was going on in her head sometimes. Asuka put her hand over hers, lacing their fingers together. It made Rei stop staring at the fire and look down at them instead. "Yes. I'm enjoying myself."

Asuka felt triumphant. "I always enjoy them too. This was _my_ idea-"

"That's not why I am enjoying myself," Rei cut her off before she could brag. Asuka raised an eyebrow at her and Rei continued "I enjoy being around everyone. It makes me feel...like I have more purpose. Besides piloting the EVA, of course."

Asuka's eyes furrowed a bit before she spoke. "Don't be stupid. You've got just as much purpose as the rest of us," she said, squeezing her hand and adding in a quieter tone "especially to me."

Rei didn't say anything at that, and Asuka was about to berate herself mentally. How stupid that must have sounded!

"That goes for you as well." Rei finally replied, a small smile on her face.

Asuka had never let on that she had issues with seeing herself as important beyond being a pilot, but somehow Rei had caught on. It surprised her. It would have made her angry if it had been anyone else, but not Rei. There was something about her that made her understand things beyond what normal people could. And while Asuka could not explain that, she was glad for it.

"We'll see," she muttered, smiling.


	10. Chapter 10

While seasons were a thing of the past for the planet, lately the weather in Tokyo-3 had been highly erratic. One day it could be unbearably cold, while temperatures rose into the high nineties the next. Today the weather proved to be especially treacherous. In just an hour, a blizzard had swept over the region and the whole area was soon covered in thick, heavy snow. Travel was impossible in the storm's conditions, which meant the city's inhabitants were stuck in their homes. Or wherever they happened to be. For Asuka, stranded at NERV headquarters with company she was less than favorable towards, this was not her ideal night.

"There's got to be something one of you can do! I'm in a building full of scientists and engineers that can't even handle a little storm?!" Asuka yelled indignantly.

"We're all still human, Asuka. Even we can't control the weather," Misato replied with an eyeroll. "Would you settle down for a minute? I'm trying to get a hold of Shinji." She pressed her phone closer to her ear and turned away from Asuka.

"Of course he wasn't around to get stuck here, that idiot," she growled, now starting to pace around the room anxiously.

The door to the room opened and Rei entered, walking over to Misato. "Dr. Akagi told me to tell you that we can expect to stay here until morning at least," she said. Asuka overheard but said nothing, instead moving to the wall to lean against it and pointedly ignore Rei and Misato.

"I thought so, I can't even get any reception in this weather. I just hope Shinji got back to the apartment alright," Misato said worriedly.

"Don't you think you coddle him enough as it is? What about us? I _hate_ being stuck here!" Asuka said angrily.

Misato chose to ignore her remark. "Asuka, why don't you go downstairs and grab everyone something to eat? We keep canned goods in the storeroom for just such an emergency as this. Besides, you seem to have a lot of energy to work off."

"Do it yourself, I don't even know where that is!"

"I could guide her if you'd like me to, Katsuragi." Rei offereed.

"That would be great, thank you. Go along and help her, Asuka. You should really know these things by now," she said, using just the right tone to suggest that Asuka was being incompetent. Attacking her pride was really the only way to get through to the stubborn girl. It worked, for Asuka exited the room without even waiting for Rei to follow.

The two rode the elevator to the bottom floor, Asuka jamming at the buttons too hard and making no effort to keep her bad mood concealed. When they got out, Asuka stared Rei down expectantly until she continued down the hallway. Asuka hugged herself as goosebumps spread along her bare arms. "Why is it so cold down here? Are we underground?"

"No. The vents down here were removed a long time ago, since this floor is long out of use. Hardly anyone ever comes down here, so it's mostly used for storage."

"Know-it-all," Asuka muttered under her breath before considering. "So there's a way outside from here, right? If it's just the ground floor."

"Yes, but it probably would not be advisable. It's dangerous to be outside right now-"

"Please Wonder Girl, just because you can't handle it doesn't mean I can't! Now which way is out?"

Rei stopped suddenly, almost causing Asuka to run into her. To their left was a weathered looking door with a small dirty window, giving them a peek to the winter wonderland beyond. Rei stepped forward and twisted the doorknob, and immediately a cold gust of wind rushed in. The storm was still going strong outside. Snowflakes pelted the two girl from outside and admittedly Asuka was a bit intimidated. But she couldn't back down now, lest she might appear weak to Rei. She pushed the First child aside and tried to exit the building.

The snow was nearly up to her knees. When she tried to move forward, her feet sank in the stuff and chilled her to the bone. She managed to get a few feet away from the door. Trying to stare ahead of her and get a good glimpse of the streets, she realized this was impossible. The flakes were whipping around her too fast. Her teeth began chattering. Quickly realizing that she was not going to be making it home, she started making her way back to the entrance.

Another big gust of wind picked up, nearly knocking Asuka off her feet. Suddenly she heard a great, ear-splitting crack. She tried to look around, but everything was a blur. She felt something tug at her arm. Rei was there. She forcefully pulled her along, plowing through the thick snow more quickly than Asuka had. Rei slammed the door wordlessly as soon as they were both inside. Asuka had stumbled against the wall after Rei had let her go. She shook her head and started to shout "What the hell is your-" but was interrupted by something heavy landing right in front of the door. They both stepped forward to look out of the window. A large pine tree had fallen directly where Asuka had been standing moments before.

"Next time don't be so reckless," Rei said quietly, glancing at Asuka for a moment before continuing to the storeroom.

"I...I would have been just fine," Asuka barked, taking a long stride to catch up to her. "And you better not tell anyone about it." The last thing she needed was Rei blabbing to everyone about how Asuka couldn't even make it outside on her own. The thought was infuriating.

"Tell anyone what?" Rei responded coolly.

The two unlikely companions actually shared a smile with each other.


	11. Chapter 11

"Thanks for helping me go through all this stuff. It can exhausting for just one person, you know?"

"If you anticipated such trouble, why did you decide to bring so much of your belongings in the first place?"

"Listen Wonder Girl, it's always best to be prepared when you go to a new place. I mean you just never know when a-" Asuka raised an eyebrow at her at the object in her hand "-drain plug...might be useful." She tossed it over her shoulder and onto the floor. Rei picked it up and placed it a box currently holding other random objects of Asuka's. The two were organizing her many boxes of things from her home country, since Misato had pointed out that three weeks was quite an adequate amount of time to get her things unpacked.

Rei had been enlisted to help in this endeavor, and she had to admit it was rather interesting. A person's possessions could say a lot about them. Most of what Asuka had brought along was clothes, but there were other things as well; a few stuffed animals, a cassette player with some of Asuka's personal favorite tapes, even a photo album, all of which Rei found to be intriguing. She was surprised that she was trusted enough to look through this stuff, but Asuka didn't seem to be bothered by her doing so in the least. She seemed to be the one Asuka trusted the most as of late. Their relationship was a special one, one that Rei was not entirely experienced with handling. But she was learning, and Asuka was surprisingly patient with her. Which for Asuka was saying something.

"This can go on my bed," Asuka said, breaking Rei out of her thoughts. She tossed a thick blanket down on the floor beside her. Rei inched forward and picked it up. It was incredibly soft and had a certain comforting scent. The pattern was unique, patchworked and evidently handstitched with a lot of thought put into it. She found herself studying it for a long moment before asking "What is this?"

Asuka looked down from the box she was rummaging through. "Oh, you like it? It's a quilt. I guess my grandmother made it for me before I was even born."

"It's nice," Rei said quietly, running her hand over the quilt.

Asuka smiled and rolled her eyes. Rei always seemed fascinated most by the oddest and usually trivial things. "It's just an old blanket." She returned to her box and began to organize a load of her clothes to hang in the closet.

When she had finished this task and had heard nothing from Rei, she turned away from the empty box and looked over at her bed. The quilt had made it there and evidently it was not the only thing. Rei was sprawled out on it, eyes closed and breathing softly. Asuka shook her head and knelt down beside her bed. She couldn't really get annoyed with her, not when she was sleeping so peacefully. She brushed a pale lock of hair that had fallen in Rei's face behind her ear, gently so that the girl wouldn't stir. The cold, guarded look that was customary for her features was gone entirely. Asuka sighed and surveryed their work. They had managed to put most of the items away, so she supposed it was alright to call it a day. And yes, Asuka had to admit that Rei looked quite adorable this way.

She yawned. It was a quiet day, the only sound being the rain outside. It made Asuka a little drowsy herself. She softly settled down next to Rei on the quilt and closed her eyes, only meaning to do so for a moment. Soon she was asleep as well.

When Misato came in to invite them outside for dinner, she would later recall the image of the two girls sleeping next to each other as one of the most precious things she had ever seen, much to Asuka's chagrin.


	12. Chapter 12

"I don't know about this, guys. She's gonna beat me up!" Shinji was pleading with his friends not to go through what they were planning.

"Man up, Shinji, she's coming this way!" Kensuke said, pushing Shinji out into the hallway. He almost collided with a few students switching classes. Asuka was a few yards away at her locker, but she would have to come his way in a few moments. Kensuke and Toji were grinning at him from behind a corner as Shinji looked up at their handiwork: a sprig of mistletoe had been hung from the ceiling. The plan was to leave Shinji under there until Asuka joined him, leaving her under peer pressure and tradition to kiss him. Which was common knowledge that this was the last thing on the planet Asuka would want to participate in, making this a brilliant prank.

Asuka slammed her locker shut and began making her way across the hall to Shinji. He steeled himself and tried to look like he was preoccupied with something else. "Shinji, I have something to ask you," a cool, quiet voice said. Shinji's head jolted upward in surprise so fast that he barely recognized Rei approaching him from the other side of the hall.

"Yo, get outta the way, that ain't part of the plan!" Toji said while Kensuke sniggered beside him. Shinji hastily moved from where he had been standing so that only Rei was standing where he had been. She raised her eyebrow at him, but before she could do anything else Asuka bumped right into her.

"Watch where you're going, Wonder Girl!" she said indignantly.

At that moment, Toji jumped out from where he had been hiding. "Ha, look who's under the mistletoe!"

Asuka looked up and immediately cringed at the sight of what hanging directly above her and Rei. "N-no way! I can't..not with her!"

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Rei said thoughtfully, but Asuka was too busy getting in Toji's face to hear her.

"Hey, you're the one that walked under it, you know the rule! Unless you're too chicken, that is."

"Are you stupid?! I've never chickened out of anything, ever!" Asuka said, growling. A crowd had begun to congregate around the scene.

"Then pucker up already!" Kensuke teased, pushing Asuka face to face with Rei. Students around them were whispering excitedly, putting Asuka on edge. Rei just looked at her questioningly. Her expression was unreadable, not shedding any light to how she felt about her current situation.

Asuka stared her down for a good minute, a few time almost looking like she would make a move, but she always faltered. Finally she shouted something angrily in German at the crowd to silence them. "This is stupid! It's a children's tradition and you're all stupid for trying to make me play along!" She turned away from Rei, pushing past the group of students and making a beeline towards the restroom.

"It was a joke, geez!" Toji said, apparently satisfied. Everyone turned away, slightly disappointed as they went to class instead. Shinji sighed and turned towards Rei, but she wasn't there.

* * *

"Do you even realize what they wanted us to do? Like we'd ever kiss like that, just for that stupid boy's amusement, I mean really, when I get my hands on him-"

"Why didn't you go through with it?"

"Do you _really _have to ask?"

Rei shrugged. Asuka found it disturbing how little regard she had for personal space. She pondered her words as the two sat together in a corner of the girl's restroom, far away from the door and immediate attention of anyone who happened to walk in. Admittedly, Asuka was still a little shell shocked from the scene that had just happened and did not feel up to dealing with nosy classmates.

"Because that kind of thing is personal! You don't just kiss someone as a joke for other people to look at, it's disgusting! That stuff should be just between the people involved, you know?

Rei processed this information then said "So what if we had been alone? Would it have been different?"

"Of course it would have been! Without a million people gawking at us I would have been able..I mean, you know if I had _wanted_ to, which I..well.." Asuka's face was flushed and she turned away. Why was she spilling her guts to Rei like this? Clearly she herself was the disgusting one around here; all this sap must have been affecting her brain, she reasoned.

She felt a warm, unmistakeable brush of lips against her cheek and felt herself begin to heat up all over again. Rei had leaned over and kissed her, just like that. Asuka touched her cheek gingerly and then said, a little too loudly, "Now what the hell was that for?"

Was Rei smiling...mischievously? "If it's true what you say, then refusing to kiss me out there was noble of you. I think you deserved at least that for your trouble."


	13. Chapter 13

"This is getting ridiculous," Asuka stated, looking around Rei's apartment with narrowed eyes. She picked up the item she had just tripped over upon entering the place and set it down loudly.

Rei looked over from the stove where she had been preparing a meal for the two of them. Asuka liked to spend the night at Rei's place when she decided she needed a bit of break from Shinji and Misato. She moved towards her and picked it up, inspecting it carefully before looking at her guest with a quizzical expression. "What do you mean?"

Asuka groaned. "Ever since you watched that stupid movie you've been hoarding these things like you're expecting another Impact!"

These things happened to be snowmen. Not real ones, for there was no natural snow to be found. Over the past couple of days, Rei had acquired a plethora of snowmen; plush, ceramic, plastic, candles (which she refused to light) even yarn all portraying the likeness of a fat little snowman. Asuka had no idea where she had managed to find them all, though she had a sneaking suspicion that most of it had been found in the garbage.

The two had been in Misato's apartment just a week ago, lazily cuddled together on the couch and browsing the channels on the television. When the familiar theme of Frosty the Snowman started up on one of the stations, Asuka had groaned softly and was about to change the channel when Rei had stilled her hand. "Don't tell me you wanna watch this, it's for babies!"

"I've never seen it," Rei replied simply, not turning her attention away from the cartoon.

Asuka scoffed and replied condescendingly "You don't have a TV, you've never seen anything."

Rei ignored the comment, instead gently removing the remote from Asuka's hand and turning up the volume of the set instead. Asuka had sighed and allowed it, sitting through the half hour special boredly while Rei took it in with a disturbing interest. When it was over, Rei didn't seem to have a strong opinion about it either way, so Asuka had written it off as just another weird thing her girlfriend did. A lot of things Rei did were not conventional, and Asuka had grown to accept this.

But _this_, keeping a collection of tacky snowmen strewn about a small apartment, was testing Asuka's limits. She was starting to resent their little coal smiles staring up at her the longer she stood there. "So what do you have to say for yourself?" she demanded of Rei, who hadn't been paying attention to her.

Rei stepped up next to her and held out a yen note for Asuka. "Could you go to the corner and pick up some milk for me? I forgot it earlier."

"Are you even listening to me?" Asuka asked, annoyed.

Rei shrugged. "What does it matter to you? You don't live here."

"I come around often enough! And I happen to think they're creepy."

Rei considered this. "You used to think I was creepy."

"That's different, obviously!"

"Possibly. Regardless, I like having them around and I hope you'll get used to them."

Asuka jabbed a finger at her. "What if I ordered you to get rid of them?"

Rei didn't say anything, merely staring her down with a blank expression. Asuka sighed and grabbed the banknote that Rei had been holding. "At least clear the two off the table so that I don't have them staring at me while I eat."

"Thank you," Rei said softly and moved forward to give her a quick kiss on the lips. It was nothing heavy, but Asuka flushed all the same, hurrying out the door so that Rei wouldn't see. She did not understand how that girl could still give her butterflies even when they had been together for a while now. It was a little embarrassing but at the same time it made her feel warm, even though she would loathe to admit it. Sure, Wonder Girl was cold and weird and a little hard to decipher at times. At the same time though, she had a caring and understanding side, which ultimately won her over.

So in an odd turn of events, Asuka had developed a large attachment to Rei. A need to make someone else other than herself happy, which was a rare thing indeed for her. It's this need that overtakes her as she's paying for the milk and spies a box of cheap snowman charms at the register. She stares at the jolly little men in the box with disdain before muttering "Scheisse," and placing one on the counter.


	14. Chapter 14

Oof, I am SORRY guys! I got very sick over winter break, which kind of killed my drive for...well, anything creative. Happy to report that I am on the mend and I WILL finish this, as promised. Happy Valentimes day, all!

* * *

"Why are you being so shy?" Rei asked, innocently enough, but the accusation still flustered Asuka.

"Don't be stupid, don't you remember who you're talking to?" Asuka barked at Rei, clad in a towel and looking at her through the bathroom mirror where she seemed to be thoroughly examining something on her face.

Given that she had been doing this for more than five minutes, Rei had deduced that she was nervous about sharing a bath with her. However, she could not determine the reason. Surely Asuka did not think that there was any danger to be had here. So what was cause of her trepidation? Rei pushed it aside in her mind, focusing instead on the heat of the water. It was warm and relaxed her tired muscles after a stressful day in the EVA. "I'm talking to you. You should really come in here before the water gets cold," she finally replied, stretching a little in the tub. The movement made her bare chest plainly visible, which caused Asuka to make a noise.

In truth, Asuka was quite tense and a little confused about Rei's openness. She had always held to the belief that being naked around someone was something you only did with someone who meant a great deal to you. It was certainly the first time she had seen Rei without any clothing, so it had to be her first time seeing Asuka the same way. So why the hell was _she_ the only one who was nervous? Though she had grown to care for the other girl, Asuka still had her pride at the forefront of her mind, and it bothered her to think of even Rei being less scared of something than she was. However, seeing how calm Rei was also made Asuka even more eager to just ignore her anxieties and get on with things. She didn't want Rei figuring out that this was such a big deal to her.

"Are you-"

"C'mon, move over," Asuka interrupted, abandoning her robe on the floor and stepping into the water. Rei obliged and made room for her companion, who sighed audibly as she sat down. The warm water really was quite soothing. She didn't even notice Rei's intense red eyes regarding her. Asuka flinched self consciously. "What are you staring at?"

"You. After all there's no one else here," she said reasonably.

Asuka could feel her body temperature rising as she began to panic a little. She couldn't read Rei's emotion. What if she was repulsed or bored with what she saw? "Yeah? And whattaya have to say about it?" she responded hotly. Better to sound like she didn't care, she figured.

In one swift movement, Rei moved towards Asuka and closed the distance between them. The kiss made Asuka feel lightheaded, another source of heat in the still balmy water. Rei pulled away after a few moments, her face flushed as well. "You are...exceptional."

Asuka huffed but let out an amused laugh. "Just that, huh?"

Rei tilted her head and Asuka went on. "Well, I mean, you _do_ like me after all. I thought you would use better words for than just...'exceptional'."

Rei considered this, looking down at their reflections in the water, where their faces were rippling beside each other. "There are a few other words that come to mind...when I think of you."

Asuka gave her a grin worthy of the cheshire cat. "Oh really?" She pulled Rei into her lap, lacing her arms around her waist and pressing her bare breasts into Rei's back. Rei gasped softly at the soft contact and felt a shudder go through her. Pleased by her reaction, Asuka placed her head on Rei's shoulder. "Why don't ya tell me?" she whispered breathily.

Rei swallowed. She had never felt the sensation of having her heart beat so fast and yet not being in any danger. Instead she craved more of it.

"Fierce...addictingly so."

Asuka ran her hands up Rei's ribs slowly. "Hmm, not bad. Go on."

"You're...beautiful."

"Oooh, I like that one. You mean it?" Asuka asked, now starting to kiss Rei's neck.

"Y-yes," Rei said, shivering with pleasure as Asuka placed multiple kisses on her as she moved down her neck to along her shoulder, lingering over a few spots and swirling her tongue over them delicately. Rei arched her back and a little moan escaped her.

"Another," Asuka demanded huskily.

"Obnoxious," Rei responded after a pause.

Asuka immediately stopped what she had been doing. "Ex_cuse _me?"

"I'm sorry, would you prefer 'bossy'?" Rei didn't seem phased by Asuka's change in tone.

Asuka groaned and pushed Rei away from her. "Those _aren't_ compliments," she huffed.

"No, they aren't." Rei said, moving back to Asuka's side. "But they're still part of you. And I enjoy you, all of you. So I appreciate those parts too."

Asuka looked at her, stunned. "Rei..."

Rei just smiled and squeezed Asuka's hand under the water. "I have one other word for you."

Asuka looked at her questioningly before Rei leaned in for another kiss, gentle and chaste, like Rei's tended to be. "Irresistible."


	15. Chapter 15

Rei was the first person on the runway to see her off.

"I can't believe they went through the trouble of finding me a private jet! You'd think I was a famous dignitary or something," Asuka babbled delightedly.

"Well you are the Second Child, after all."

"That's true. Without me you and that idiot Shinji would probably just flounder all over the place! Well...maybe not you," Asuka relented after a moment's pause. "That reminds me, keep him in line while I'm gone, got it? I don't want the Angels destroying this place."

"Ikari and I are perfectly capable of defending the city while you're away, Asuka. Don't trouble yourself." Rei said in her customarily cold tone.

"You better be. If a Third Impact happens, I'm holding you personally responsible!" She jabbed a finger at Rei accusingly, but she had a smile on her face. Rei merely tilted her head slightly and Asuka rolled her eyes. She was only half worried about the possibility of something happening to the other Children while she went back to Germany. Her father had fallen ill and her remaining family had called her back to help support him while the doctors continued to run tests. They assured her it would be for no longer than a few weeks. Asuka had agreed somewhat begrudgingly, partly out of worry and partly out of duty. She wasn't very keen on leaving her EVA for so long, but it seemed unavoidable.

"Hopefully my piloting won't be too rusty when I get back," she said with a sigh.

"That won't happen."

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "You seem awfully sure of that. I'd better not disappoint any of you then, at least for your sake."

"You won't. You are Asuka Langley Sohryu, after all. You can't stand disappointments so it only stands to reason that you'd never become one." Rei said resolutely.

Asuka smiled at this reasoning. "Looks like you've got some good sense in that head of yours after all, Wonder Girl."

Eventually Misato and Shinji showed up to say their farewells to Asuka, who was surprisingly civil to Shinji by not berating him with her usual insults. He gave her a photo of their class, full of smiling faces which made Asuka go silent. When Misato stepped away to talk to the jet pilot, Rei surprised Asuka by pulling her off to one side. "What's your deal?"

"You turned very quiet all of a sudden."

"Why do you care?"

Rei predictably turned to stone and Asuka sighed. "I guess...I'm just gonna miss everyone, okay?" She shook her head and looked out over the skyline, at the ocean surrounding the city. She took out the photo that Shinji had given her. She was standing between Rei and Shinji; she remembered when the photo was taken and she pulled them both close to her, and Rei had squirmed a bit in surprise. Rei wasn't used to having friends, which made her more fun to tease. Asuka had to admit she was going to miss that. She and Rei were just starting to get friendly with each other. "Kinda wish I could take you...er, one of you with me," she backtracked quickly. "It's gonna be pretty boring back home."

If Rei had picked up on Asuka's words, she didn't let it show, choosing instead to look off in the direction of the plane. Misato was waving Asuka over and calling to her.

"I'd better get going. See ya around," Asuka said.

"Wait," Rei said, quiet but with such uncharacteristic force that it caused Asuka to pause. Rei stepped next to Asuka and put a soft bundle in her hands. It was a woolen hat with a matching pair of mittens, dark purple and flecked with a white snowflake pattern.

Asuka's eyes widened at the gift. "You got these for me?"

Rei nodded. "Germany is cold this time of year, so they should be useful. The class representative supplied me with the pattern so that I could make them."

"You what?!" Asuka practically shouted, shocked that Rei had actually gone through such trouble.

"Asukaaaa, you need to get going!" Misato called out impatiently.

At the same time, Rei was turning to walk away. Asuka promptly grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around, then wrapped her arms around her neck in a hug. Rei stiffened a bit and Asuka didn't know who she had surprised more, Rei or herself.

"You're so strange," Asuka said softly, her lips close to Rei's ear. She could feel her eyes start to well up and she cursed herself mentally. Why did she have to give her a damn gift? "I'm going to miss...you."

She felt Rei's hand touch her upper arm and she pulled away slightly, now looking at Rei face to face. She was smiling. "Don't cry. You'll be back soon."

Asuka finally smiled and broke the embrace, bending down to pick up the hat and mittens that she had dropped. "Thanks for these. This means I'll have to bring you something back now."

Rei shook her head. "As long as you bring yourself back...I will be satisfied." Her small, rare smile still had not left her face.

Asuka flushed a little before shaking her head adopting her usual haughty tone. "Like you said: when have I _ever_ been known to disappoint?"


	16. Chapter 16

It was bitterly cold. Even though she was indoors, buried under a heap of three blankets, Asuka felt like she was freezing. To make matters worse she was also sweating, her hair damp with perspiration. She groaned and put a hand to her pounding head, the only warm part of her body. Misato had declared that morning, after finding Asuka's temperature to be over 102 degrees, that she was being placed under quarantine until further notice. Asuka peeked out from under her nest of blankets to look at the clock. It was late afternoon now, so Misato and Shinji would be home soon. She hoped they might bring some medicine, or possibly a sledgehammer, anything to dull the overwhelming headache and nausea that she was enduring. Beginning to shake from the exposure, she buried herself weakly in her blankets once again.

As she waited to doze off again, she heard the shuffling of feet outside her door. A few more moments passed and she heard her door gently slide open. Instead of Misato or Shinji's voice however, she heard an unmistakable monotone whisper "Major Katsuragi says that she's very ill. We had better be quiet."

"Ah come on, I bet she's had enough quiet being stuffed up in here all day. You Japanese have such tiny houses!" a perkier voice exclaimed, and Mari's obnoxious face sprung to Asuka's mind. What the hell were _they_ doing here? Asuka made a noise of utter distaste, alerting her guests to her consciousness in the process.

"There, see? I told you she was bored," Mari said triumphantly, flicking on the light switch. "Rise and shine, princess! We bring you some offerings."

"Only if you choose to accept them," Rei added.

Asuka managed to rise up in a hunched over, attempted sitting position. Her usually neat hair was sticking out in every direction. She looked up at her doorway and saw Mari and Rei standing in front of it, Rei holding a full plastic bag. Mari almost burst out laughing at Asuka's pitiful appearance. "On second thought, maybe we should hide her away again. You look like an ogre, doesn't she, Rei?" She tried to jab the other girl, but Rei moved away wordlessly.

Asuka growled."Knock it off, alright? You better have something good in there for getting me up," she shouted, testily eying the bag that Rei held. She was surprised that she managed to have to the strength to yell.

Mari sat down heavily on the mattress, meaning to peeve Asuka a little bit as it bounced and made her feel dizzy. "Don't get your panties in a twist," she said with a snigger. Rei sat down with them, though much more gently, and started to lay the bag's contents in front of Asuka. She had to admit that the two had definitely delivered. Various medicines, a hot water bottle, cans of soup and even an electric blanket laid before her. She immediately grabbed the blanket and draped it over herself. She ripped open a box of Tylenol and threw a couple back for a dry swallow. "Hey, manners much? Where's our 'thank you', hmm?" Mari pestered playfully.

"Thanks," Asuka said lowly, more invested in the warmth of the her new blanket. "Where'd you guys get the money for all that stuff anyway?"

"Misato. She said she was gonna be out a little late, so she wanted us to make sure you were alright here. What would you have done without us?" Mari said this last part with a melodramatic air.

"I'm perfectly-" Asuka started to snap a retort when a wave of nausea overtook her, causing her to fall back gently onto her side.

Mari rolled her eyes and grabbed one of the soup cans. "Relax, your Highness. Since you're awake, why don't I make you one of these? Maybe you'll feel up to insulting us then," she said with a wink. She didn't wait for an answer and skipped off to the kitchen, leaving Asuka and Rei alone.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Rei asked, seeming to be genuinely curious.

Asuka rolled over to face her. "Hmmph, not really. I'm just so damn cold. Haven't you ever been sick before?"

Rei just stared back, and Asuka took her silence for a negative. "Of course you haven't," she sighed. She buried herself back under her blankets. The pain in her head had subsided for a few minutes but now it was starting to return. It wasn't helped by Mari being loud in the kitchen and singing that annoying, upbeat song that she loved so much. She cussed in German and threw off her blanket. "Can't she shut up?" she said indignantly, standing up and starting to walk towards the door. She wasn't prepared for a fresh slice of dizziness to strike her, making her vision go blurry. It made her lose her balance and trip. Before she could prepare herself for any impact, she felt light but strong arms secure around her middle. She registered being pulled upright and Rei's calm voice was in her ear.

"Asuka, you're not well. Don't overexert yourself." She helped Asuka turn around to face her, who still held onto her shoulder for support.

"I was fine," she snapped, though weakly. "I don't...need anyone's help."

"Maybe not. But that does not mean we are not free to give it. Consider it...a weakness on our part. Not yours."

Asuka raised her eyebrows, a bit stunned at Rei's words to calm her down. It worked well enough, as she sighed shakily, allowing Rei to help her back over to the bed. "Heh, fine." She was starting to feel more relaxed, the pills she had taken finally starting to affect her. In good spirits now, she leaned her head against Rei's shoulder, who surprisingly did not make an effort to move away. "Thanks for grabbing me. You've got good reflexes, Wonder Girl."

She felt Rei exhale as if in satisfaction. "Thank you," she said in a small, quiet voice. Asuka did not see the small smile flicker across her face.

"Heeeey, am I interrupting something?" Mari called excitedly from the doorway.


	17. Chapter 17

The bed gravity was particularly strong this morning for Asuka. The winter sky was gray with clouds, and the sun was nowhere to be seen despite it being almost noon. She was feeling lazy after a late night Angel attack, which had delayed her getting into bed until very early that morning. It had been three years since she had started piloting Unit 02 in Tokyo-3, but battling the Angels had never become any less exhausting. Because of this, she reasoned that she could afford to relax for a little while longer. It would probably do her a little good, in fact.

She got out of her bed and stretched lazily, heading to the bathroom to take a nice shower. She had her own apartment now, much preferable than having to share with Shinji and Misato. Especially that pervert Shinji, she thought to herself peevishly. She walked by her bedroom window and barely recognized the world outside. Snow had apparently been falling all morning, covering everything in sight with a thick blanket of the soft white stuff. It had been the first snow anyone had seen in years, and no one was prepared for it. She thought of her car in the alley below and how she would have to shovel it out. This prospect dismayed her and she sighed with annoyance. She and Rei, who also lived in the apartment, would have to get NERV headquarters later somehow. She decided to take a quick shower and get the job over with.

After freshening up for twenty minutes, Asuka walked to the kitchen. This was also where the front door was located, which led down to the main parking lot of the apartment complex. She was about to grab her coat and prepare to go outside when the door opened. Rei appeared in the doorway, her cheeks flushed and snowflakes littered about her pale blue hair. "Good morning," she said, kicking her wet boots off at the door and sinking into a chair by the table. "You were out late last night."

"Yeah, it was crazy. They said that Angel came from right out of the water, undetected. They're getting to be more and more of a nuisance," she said.

"I'm sorry I could not assist you," Rei said quietly. Her Eva had been heavily damaged a few days prior and was still in repair.

Asuka waved it off. "Hey, don't worry about it. I got rid of the pathetic thing by myself anyway, no problem at all." She said, zipping up her jacket. "How about all that snow outside?"

"There's so much of it. Fairly deep, too," Rei observed. She had taken off her own coat and was now brewing tea by the stove. "But I like it. White is a nice color."

Asuka sighed. "You would say that. But the deeper it is, the harder it will be to get rid of. I'm gonna go down and see how much I can get shoveled away from the car."

"No need. I already cleared the driveway."

"Huh?! There's no way you could have gotten it done yourself! There's at least a foot of snow out there," Asuka said, flabbergasted.

Rei merely shrugged. "You can inspect it for yourself, if you like," she said before going back to her tea.

Asuka stepped outside their apartment just in time to get hit in the face with a heavy gust of wind. She pulled her jacket more tightly around herself and made her way down to ground level. A shovel was leaning against the wall of the building, fresh snow still on the tip. Asuka usually parked her car in a small alcove between the apartment complex she lived in and a small, abandoned building right next to it. Sure enough, the entire area around it had been cleared, so that the car had a clear path to the road. Rei had even dusted off the entire car, its shiny red surface gleaming.

Asuka went back upstairs to find Rei in their living room, drinking her tea on the couch and staring out the window at the snow. The television had been turned on to the news, but apparently Rei had quickly lost interest. Asuka took a seat beside her on the couch. "You're always trying to outdo me, aren't you?" she said cheerily.

Rei set her tea on the floor and looked at Asuka. "That wasn't why I did it. Not being able to help you with the Angel last night made me feel a bit useless. I did that to make up for it."

Asuka rolled her eyes and moved onto Rei's lap, straddling her and putting her hands on the girl's shoulders gently. "Hey, don't be stupid."

Rei flushed in surprise and looked up at Asuka. "Stupid?"

"Calling yourself useless when you're obviously not. Especially not to me," she said, leaning down and kissing the blushing girl right on the lips. Rei made a soft sound of delight and put her arms around Asuka's waist, pulling her closer. Asuka's hands moved along Rei's torso, tracing patterns with her fingers and she continued to kiss Rei deeply. Their mouths opened to each other and Asuka moaned loudly. Asuka was always loud, but Rei never minded. She adored the sound, _craved_ it.

They broke apart after a while, starry eyed and out of breath, and Asuka pressed her forehead against Rei's. "There. See how important you are?"

Rei nodded, reaching for Asuka's hands with hers and lacing their fingers together. "I do."


	18. Chapter 18

Since her arrival in Japan, Asuka had spent a lot of nights tossing and turning. She was not used to sleeping on the floor. She did not like the fact that she couldn't even lock her own door. The whole apartment was so small that she felt like she was going to suffocate. Because of this, pacing around did little to calm Asuka's restlessness.

But the worst thing had to be the silence. Even at night, the city where Asuka had lived in Germany was always filled with lights and sounds. It was totally different in Tokyo-3, where in the late evening everything became desolate and quiet. She wanted desperately to be able to hear cars or people or _anything_ to get her mind off of the silence of Misato's apartment. It was unnerving.

Of course if it had not been so quiet, there was a good chance that Asuka would not have heard the knock on the door.

Asuka's eyes snapped opened from under her covers, where she had been attempting sleep. She threw off her blanket and looked at the clock, the red letters blinking 12:15. She wondered who would be ludicrous enough to show up at this hour. Probably a thief, she thought darkly. Or a rapist. Maybe she could have a little fun beating them up and breaking the monotony of her night. It was curiosity that drove Asuka tiptoeing out of her room and to the front door.

There was a knock again, but it was not a very forceful sound. Asuka sighed a little dejectedly, doubting that the presence on the other side of the door was a malicious one. Nevertheless, she gently opened the door a crack to peak outside. The air outside was icy. A small, dark form stood in front of the door, and Asuka opened it wider to get a better look.

"Oh, it's just you," Asuka said with a bored tone, looking her visitor up and down. "Wait...what the hell are you doing out here? It's freezing!"

Rei Ayanami stood shaking in front of Asuka, her breath coming out in visible puffs. "I..lost my key."

"Lost your key? How long ago was that?!" Asuka had last seen Rei at NERV with Shinji. They had been dismissed around eight, so that had to mean Rei had been out in this weather for a couple hours.

Rei didn't answer, merely shivering and looking at Asuka. "I c-came to see if Maj-jor Katsuragi has a spare. Then I'll leave you...a-alone."

Asuka sniffed, thinking. She really did look pathetic, standing there in clothes barely suitable for the weather. Normally this would have disgusted her, but she strangely felt...compassion? That _couldn't_ be it. Not for the doll girl. A strong gust of wind buffeted the girl outside, and Asuka sighed. "Get in here already," she said, grabbing Rei's arm and pulling her out of the cold and closing the door gently behind her.

Once inside, Rei's shaking calmed down a little. "Shall I ask...?"

"It's too late for you to go home now. You might as well just...stay here," Asuka said in hushed voice. It would be easier to wait til morning anyway, since Misato was probably still a little drunk from the alcohol she had consumed earlier and would be hard to wake up. Asuka led Rei into her room and closed the door soundlessly behind them.

"Just get in and go to sleep," she said muttered, gesturing to her mat on the floor. Rei didn't make a move forward, standing in place and shivering still. Asuka groaned and got in bed herself, patting the space beside her before turning over on her side. Rei must have gotten the hint, wordlessly slipping under the blankets a few moments later. Asuka sighed softly. As much as she loathed to admit it, it was nice having someone in the room with her. It was the only thing that really calmed her down enough to consider sleep. She had even stayed in Shinji's room a few nights prior. It was a strange new feeling, not to want to be alone.

The blankets were twitching with Rei's shaking and Asuka turned over to face her. Rei's eyes snapped opened when she did, as if intimidated. Asuka moved closer to her and took one of her hands gently. It was still cold to the touch. "_Gott_, you better hope you're not sick. C'mere," she said gruffly, pulling Rei closer to her with little resistance. Maybe body heat would help.

The contact seemed to calm Rei's body instantly, but she was still hesitant."I don't want to be a bother-"

"Shut up, alright? You're fine," Asuka said, closing her eyes. Rei relented, and in a few minutes she found that she was quite warm and comfortable beside Asuka. The feeling of another heartbeat beside her lulled Asuka into a calm drowsiness. Even when Rei's head moved into the crook of her neck, Asuka could not bring herself to care too much. In fact she even moved so that her chin could rest on Rei's head, making their positions fit better.

As she was shifting, she roused Rei a little. She whispered "Thank you," in a drowsy voice.

"Whatever," Asuka said with a yawn. She smiled in the darkness.


End file.
